Hey guys, I have been looking at a bunch of different cars to replace the '00 Civic. I know I haven't been on here all that much lately, but I have been having issue with the civic and it's been parked in my driveway for 6+ months now. Since my wife and I are thinking of expanding our family in the next year or so, we were thinking about a family car (fusion, fusion hybrid, mazda6, camry, etc.). We took a little road trip to Cleveland this past weekend and picked up this one: http://www.ncautoauction.com/detail-...-10368746.html

I will post the dealer pics after I get home and will post a few more down the road after I get it inspected and everything.

My impression so far is it gets great gas mileage for its size (25city/35hwy), handles very well, and has enough power for our needs. It doesn't have navi, but it does have bluetooth/premium stereo. I'm not sure how I feel about the dealership yet, but I'll post more about that after I talk with them.

 

 

I believe everything you said except for ^

I personally hate Camry, every gen and every year.
They are dangerous to drive IMO.

I would get a new accord for not much more.

 

Let's not get all crazy now.

 

haha like i said it is IMO.

Toyota's soft brake and "floating" suspension are just not for me.

But then again, they must be doing something right if they are the #1 selling car for so many years.

 

Great cars. the last two i had were a long time ago though when they were made in Japan.

 

As promised, here are a few of the pics from the link. In response to the handling, it doesn't handle as well as my CL did with the Tein SS-Ps, but I think it does pretty well for its size.

 

I used to send a lot of flak Toyota's way but having driven a new SE I can say they are a big improvement over the non-SE models. The only real gripe I actually have about the car is the audio/HVAC controls. Didn't have much seat time but it felt clunky.

 

Nice upgrade from the Civic. Hope it serves the family well and last a long time.

 

Looks good. Camrys have always been solid cars whose owners experience few (if any) issues. Enjoy her.

 

The SE models are far from floaty. In fact, they ride pretty harsh for Toyotas.

But I'm like you, I always prefer the Accord over Camry - all generations so far.

 

Same here, now with my 4th different generation of Accord. Each time I acquired an Accord, the Camry was a strong second choice, with the Altima being in the mix the last couple of generations.

 

Not to rag on the OP's pickup ( Toyotas are generally the best choice for what they were built for.), but does anyone else feel the exterior of the new Camry took a step back, almost in a juvenile direction? Every time I see one, I have to decipher between a Camry and Carolla.

 

everything looks ok to me except for the taillight.

It is missing a corner. it has been 2 or 3 years since the new design came out, i am still not used to it when i see it on the road.

 

how come the camry over the 2013 accords?

test drove the 4 cylinder accord and it was a pretty nice ride for a family car, with all the bells and whistles for technology

 

that's simple...if we had more of a budget for the car, I would've driven the 2013 Accord among others since I do love the styling of it. I figured if I drove one, I'd want one. I picked up the Camry for $17,995 so it was pretty much the best I could find for the money that will suit our future needs.

 

They just started with the current head/tail lights in 2012. I agree that the missing corner is a little odd, but I think it's a little less in your face since the car is red.

 

Congrats

 

Congrats, like the red.

 

i picked up a 2013 white se w/ 2-tone interior for $21,3xx otd. congrats on the purchase!

 

North Coast Auto Auction is only 2 miles from my house. I peruse their lot regularly in case I find a cheap beater deal I can't refuse. I haven't dealt with their sales staff yet, honestly. They do a boatload of eBay auctions, though.

That said, a Camry is a solid family cruiser that is a bit floaty for my tastes. Even so, it will serve your family well for many years. Congrats on the new car!

 

Thanks, I was wondering that when I saw you were from Cleveland. Sales staff was ok. After I was on my way home, I noticed that there were no headlight bulbs at all in the car, so we had to stop off at Walmart and pick some up. I spoke with the dealership and they should be cutting me a check, but I'm waiting on it. I first started checking out their site when they were posting on Pittsburgh Craigslist. They have a few different lots and about 650 cars at the moment.

 

Wow OP, I thought you were kidding with the thread title.

Hmm, car came without headlights. That's um, odd.

You are the dude a laugh at when I'm bored at stoplights.

g-luck dude.

 

I think Camry's are best sellers for a reason, they are predictable in ownership (rarely any unusual costs), delivery as advertised and they last forever at an affordable price. I hope it meets your growing family's needs!

Now just don't get into any small overlap frontal collisons....

 

Wrong^ Nissan sells more Altimas than Toyota sells Camrys.

That's right, I said Nissan sells more mid sized family cars than Toyota.

 

I'm not sure why my purchase surprises you since I bought a reliable car that fits my needs. The fact that it didn't come with bulbs means I didn't look hard enough under the hood, but in all honesty, unless you turn them on during before or after a 5pm test drive it's hard to notice they aren't working. Since you seem to think Nissan is SO much better/popular than Toyota, let's look at the numbers. My car is a 2012 model, lets look at the end of year numbers first.

(Toyota sold 101,952 more Camrys than Nissan sold Altimas)
Now the current numbers with Altima's redesign, gee, a whole 100 cars above Toyota, Nissan sells a TON more than Toyota.

 

Nice pick up- especially for the price! My parents have owned multiple Camry's for years and loved them. As said, they are a bit vanilla but millions have sold b/c of the vanilla flavor.

The design is not bad- although the headlights are straight from a TSX/TL. I actually prefer the headlights from the previous generation Camry.

 

Wow, a lot of hate in this thread.

The last time I had to get a rental, I got a 2012 Camry. I was pleasantly surprised. I actually preferred it over the 2012 Accord that my friend drives.

 

No headlight bulbs? WTF? Sounds like a sales fail to me. Sorry you had to go through that, man. Have you gotten it inspected by a local Toyota dealer to make sure there are no other surprises?

 

Why wouldn't it have bulbs in the first place? That's really odd

 

Not to mention it is illegal (at least in Texas) for a liscensed dealer to sell a car that will fail a safety inspection. (Headlights are pretty high on the safety list.)

As for Marco, he is just trolling. The Altima is a piece of crap, and he is just looking for a response.

I wasn't trying to hate on the Camry. I don't think the design looks bad. It just doesn't look as good as the previous gen or the new Avalon.

 

Quick update, after working with the dealership, they agreed to reimburse me for the bulbs I bought (Silverstar Ultra lows/ Sylvania Halogen highs) plus extra money towards a detail since it wasn't completely detailed as described by the salesman (bought it right before close, but when I detailed every car had full detail prior to leaving the lot). After getting the title and registering it in PA this week, I just got the car inspected yesterday by Toyota and it passed with no issues. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome, I got better headlights for free and can get the car clay barred/waxed, etc on their dime as well. I also just ordered a K&N drop in filter for it yesterday. Now I just have to find some good floor mats for a decent price and I'll be good to go.